Arkansas Feral Hog Eradication Task Force seeks public input on bait

Thursday

Oct 5, 2017 at 12:01 AM

Times Record Staff

The Arkansas Feral Hog Eradication Task Force, created by Act 1010 of the Arkansas Legislature this year, seeks input from Arkansans regarding the registration and potential restrictions on authorized uses of Kaput Feral Hog Bait as a viable method of control in eradication efforts.

“Kaput Feral Hog Bait is currently the only toxicant approved by the EPA for the control of feral hogs,” an Arkansas Agriculture Department news release states. “This product is not currently registered for use in any other state in the country.”

Feedback is being solicited through Oct. 22 by completing an online survey at http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07eeo9xja5j8awvmzt/_tmp/greeting, or by sending comments to Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward at: wes.ward@aad.arkansas.gov.

Comments received will be presented to the Feral Hog Eradication Task Force at their next scheduled meeting Oct. 25.

The product manufacturers label as well as additional information regarding feral hogs and the Feral Hog Eradication Task Force is available at www.aad.arkansas.gov/feral-hog-eradication-task-force.

The bait formulation in this product is warfarin-based and has demonstrated efficacy against feral hogs at a formulation strength one-fifth the concentration of warfarin that has been registered for controlling rodents in the U.S. for more than 60 years.

The Feral Hog Eradication Task Force was directed to form a plan for the eradication of feral hogs in Arkansas. Feral hogs have an estimated total population between 4 million and 5 million across 39 states and cause about $1.5 billion annually in agricultural and ecological costs, according to the news release.